[Oz-gifted] great IQ article in today's SMH

[Anna V]

On 7 Nov 2005 at 17:05, R. Williams wrote:

> Yes Anna, I think that impoverished gifted children like my son should
>  not have to pay for his own tertiary education that he receives as a
> child. You make it sound like that's a lot to ask for in a country
> that has so much to offer so many people. I used to think that it was
> ok to make him pay but that was because I kept thinking about how
> difficult it is for children in third world countries to get any
> education. Then I realised that just because children are treated
> worse in other countries that doesn't make it right or fair for my
> child to have to pay for his own childhood education. Two wrongs do
> not make a right. I do not see it as a promotion of inequality to
> allow impoverished gifted children to be supported during their
> education as children. I consider that a human right.

good luck with that.  I don't consider it to be a human right to 
access tertiary education for free simply because my child 
happens to be younger than the norm.

> 
>  If impoverished gifted children are given no help then middle and
>  upper 
> class gifted children will always have more options because their
> families can afford them. I think it should be means tested so that
> people who can afford to pay for their children's education can do so.

It's a fact of life though.


> I'd love to but I've been *educating* this child while the system has
> failed to do so, so I have no money to pay for it myself. I can't see
> how my child should be made to come up with the goods when society has
> failed him. I'm just doing my best to plug the gaps and the lack of
> support here is breath-taking in it's lack of compassion or
> understanding. No child support, no father, no funding for his
> education yet he still has to pay for a degree he's doing as a child
> because he is gifted? Should he get a job to keep himself and repay
> his loan that will be wonderful but I do think society can do better
> in how it treats children like my son (gifted and underpriveleged).
> 

I do have compassion and I totally understand poverty.  Trust me, 
I've been unable to work for the past 10 years due to my kids 
being twice exceptional.  I just do not agree that your child or my 
child is entitled to free tertiary education when there is a loan 
system in place.  In theory I support free tertiary education for all 
not just kids who happen to have a certain level of IQ.


>  Uni for youngsters like Brenton could be paid for through a
>  scholarship but 
> it has to be one he could qualify for. If it's not fair to give it to
> Brenton who has worked very hard since he was little then why is it
> fair to give scholarships for other reasons to other students, I
> wonder? We select out people to help/promote for all kinds of reasons
> and it is amazing to me that a gifted forum is the hardest place to
> get any compassion for poor gifted children.

Again I have to ask why you assume that your child is the only 
one being raised in poverty on this list?


> 
> I think you are being very hard on children to say that just because
> they need a certain level of education while still children they
> should be made to pay for it themselves. The rich will still pay for
> their childrens education and whatever else they wish to provide and
> the poor will remain downtrodden and excluded.
> 

Yep.  

> This thread is a good example of how hard it is for a gifted child to
> get any sympathy for their right to an appropriate education. No
> wonder the teachers unions have no sympathy for gifted children, at
> least I can understand where they are coming from when there is so
> little compassion to go around here. I'll tell my son that he's light
> years ahead financially, I'm sure it will make him feel better when he
> can't even afford his Air League uniform.

I'm not quite sure how you made that leap.

anna